


Making Things Right

by W01FS0NG



Series: The Tale of the Lavabender [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Gen, Lavabender, Making up with Zuko time, Mention of Death, Mention of Suki, The Gaang - Freeform, The Southern Raiders episode, lavabending, mention of Azula, mention of descrimination
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:29:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24801598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/W01FS0NG/pseuds/W01FS0NG
Summary: “I thought that you hated me for what I was just like the rest of them.”“For what it’s worth, I don’t hate you. I think you’re an amazing person. If there was a way I could make things right, I would do it.”“I appreciate that. I do, but I don’t know if I’m ready to face them again.”Well, when you are. I’ll be waiting for you.”
Series: The Tale of the Lavabender [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1787455
Kudos: 4





	Making Things Right

**Author's Note:**

> Ayyy I’m back with another addition! Really hope you guys are liking the series.

Team Avatar accepted Heiwa more than she thought they would. Definitely way more than the Fire Nation’s royal family. The Avatar himself even marveled at Heiwa’s power, wanting her to teach him how to do it. They were already onto a good start. Katara was a bit uptight, but nice. Toph was way laid back and both Aang and Sokka were jokesters. Haru was pretty nice. Duke and Teo were cool too. Once the prince joined the team though, everyone could tell that both her and Zuko had a serious rift in their relationship. 

Heiwa thought it was funny at first when Zuko lost his bending. But she knew that he'd been confused for a while, so she took it seriously. The Dragon Dance was a cute name for the ancient form.

Days after, she was awake while Zuko and Sokka schemed to go to that prison. When they said they were going on a fishing trip, she knew they were lying. The now sixteen year old worried that she might never see either of them again. What if they got caught? She tried not to think about it too much. The teen was actually pretty hecking happy when they both returned (and with new people!).

Then the Fire Nation attacked, splitting Haru, Duke, Hakoda, and Teo up from the rest of the group. From then on, the Gaang had to sleep in tents. Zuko saved the day. As they attempted to escape, Zuko told them he’d hold his sister off. The team soon realized that they couldn’t take Appa through the tunnel. They watched siblings throw fire at each other, and they caught Zuko as Azula fell, only to catch herself on a vine. 

Heiwa had gone through all those days without speaking to the Firebender when it wasn’t necessary. Now, as they slept in tents, she wondered if she could be ready. Heiwa and Zuko almost completely trusted each other when he was Lee. So what happened? Azula and the rest of the Fire nation. That’s what happened. As she sat in her hanging cell, all her fond memories of Lee and Mushi began to turn sour. The Fire Nation never accepted her for what she was. Her bending style was the very reason she was jailed. She was a freak, and freaks shouldn’t step foot in the palace.

That day when Heiwa happened upon Zuko’s camp, he said that he tried to look for her, that he couldn’t find her. Somehow, she perceived them as lies. Most every Firebender she’d ever met pretended to care about her. The only ones who truly did were her mom and Iroh (Mushi). Then again, her Firebending mother only knew her as an Earthbender. Heiwa’s parents died via mob before they could witness her unique bending. Iroh only knew her as a non-bender. He found out about her bending in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se.

Anyway, Aang and Toph seem to be getting along with him. Suki and Sokka do too. So then, why not give it a try? As soon as they settled their camp, Heiwa walked up to the Firebender. “Hey,” she greeted.

“Hey,” he parroted.

“Can we talk?” she asked him. Hope seemed to fill his eyes.

“Of course.”

The two of them traveled to a secluded spot. They sat atop a rock. His legs dangled off of it while hers were crossed.

“So, what were you thinking?” she asked him, staring at him dead in the eyes. She didn’t even know if that was the right question. The lavabender hoped that he got when she referred to.

He returned her gaze. “In Ba Sing Se, before the catacombs and Azula, I thought you were really amazing. Then when you showed your bending, I was shocked… to say the least. I didn’t think something like that could happen. I thought that only the Avatar could control Lava. Then, when they were carting you away, I knew I had to do something. I couldn’t just let my good friend rot in a cell.”

“But you let them take Mushi away?!” She shouted, catching him off guard.

“Looking back, I regret it. Though, at first I thought that there was nothing that I could really do for him. I understood why they placed him in that cell. I really did try to get him out…” He then averted his gaze. “I suspected that everyone thought of you as different and strange, but I never thought they would jail you for it. I feel stupid because you were in the same building as Iroh, and I couldn’t save you. I couldn’t see that you were being kept there. I couldn’t see how to rescue someone who was a part of a good time in my life.”

Her eyes softened now. Was that really all genuine? Truly?

He then turned to look at her right in the eye. “Please understand that I want us to continue being friends.”

“Was the fire that killed my parents ever reported?” she asked him. “My mother was the niece of the Governor there.”

He studied the rock. “I’m sorry to tell you that I haven’t heard anything like that. Though it should have been, especially considering that a member of his own family died.” He paused then sighed, glancing into her eyes. “Is it because your father was an Earthbender?” She nodded.

She unfolded her legs and bent them, resting her chin against her knee. Her arms wrapped around her shins. “It didn’t matter if they were Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom. They all hated us. They hated my parents for getting married and they hated me for existing.”

“It must have been hard.”

She glared at him and sarcastically remarked, “Ya think?” A pause. “And then, that fateful night when the town actually agreed on something, my parents paid the prince, and my friend, a non-bender and the only person who saw me for me, also paid the price. The townspeople tried to burn us alive and sink us beneath the earth. I fought long and hard to stay alive. That was my first time ever Lavabending. After they realized what I could do, they hated me even more. I ran all the way to Ba Sing Se. And right into you.”

They held each other’s gaze for a moment. A small smile threatened to grace her lips. She then looked away and continued, “Their glares and their words stabbed me like a thousand knives.” Neither could decipher if she spoke about the townspeople or members of the palace. “I hope you understand that when you didn’t come to visit me or even break me out, it somehow hurt more. The one person I thought I could trust was egging on what I thought at the time, was the biggest lie of all. I thought that you hated me for what I was just like the rest of them.”

“For what it’s worth, I don’t hate you. I think you’re an amazing person. If there was a way I could make things right, I would do it.” His eyes and voice told her he was telling the truth and for that she was grateful.

There was a pause as she thought things over. “I appreciate that. I do, but I don’t know if I’m ready to face them again.”

He knew what she was suggesting. Go out there to personally make things right _with_ her. She wanted to be there to make sure it was done properly. “Well,” he stated, moving to stand up, extending an arm towards her. “When you are. I’ll be waiting for you.”

She took his hand and he helped her up. “Thank you, Zuko.” She walked away from him, making her way to her tent.

“What was that about?” asked Katara. She has been protective over everyone against Zuko since he joined. The Waterbender’s arms were crossed.

“We talked,” the Lavabender explained with a blank expression, almost challenging her hard gaze.

“And?” 

Heiwa figures it out. Katara’s mad that the lavabender even considered talking to him, considering what he did. She’s mad that he was able to pull another one to his side. So, Heiwa responded, “Consider me fully accepting him into the group as a friend.”

“You do?” Aang asked almost excitedly. He went up to them on his weird wind scooter.

“Yeah.” She smiled. “Yeah.”

“That’s great!” The Avatar celebrated. Katara walked away from them, making Heiwa sigh. “Don’t worry,” he noticed. “I’m sure she can come around.”

“That’s just it. Her hatred of the Fire Nation is driving her away from acceptance. I’m not even sure she _will_ come around. Or even move past it for that matter.” They all know what the Fire Nation took away from Sokka and Katara. The only difference between the siblings is that he was willing to look past it towards a brighter future.

—————

Then dinner rolled around. It was Heiwa’s turn to cook. She actually surprised herself. The food turned out great. Sitting next to Zuko, her train of thought had switched tracks. Aang’s voice brought her to the present. “Wow, camping,” he remarked. “It really seems like old times again doesn’t it?”

“If you really want it to be like old times, I could, uh chase you around a while and try to capture you.” The others laughed. All were silent. Heiwa chose to punch him in the arm. “Oww,” he said, holding his bicep.

Katara has stayed silent, which left the lavabender worried. Sokka didn’t notice her silence, instead he raised his cup, toasting, “To Zuko. Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out, today, he’d be our hero.” This was true. If he hadn’t fought his sister then this would have been a totally different story.

Anyway, most of them replied to Sokka’s toast with a, “Here, here!”

Similar to the lavabender, but unalike in reason, the metal bender punched his other shoulder, having sitting to his right. “I’m touched,” said Zuko. “I don’t deserve this.”

“Yeah,” agreed Katara in a low and threatening tone. “No kidding.” She got up and left, leaving her rice.

“What’s with her?” Sokka questioned the group.

“I wish I knew,” said Zuko, standing.

“This will probably blow up in your face,” said Heiwa, also standing, “But I think you should talk to her, if there’s going to be any peace around here, you have to make things right with her.”

He only nodded and went after the waterbender.

Everyone ate in silence. 

—————

Hours into the late night, Heiwa woke up with a jerk. The strange feeling of sweat dotted her face. The teen took in a breath and laid down again, closing her eyes. No peace filled her dreams. Only nightmares of that fateful night. Can’t it just leave her alone?! Apparently not.

She stepped out of her tent and glanced up at the moon for a while. Her next decision boggled her. She wasn’t even sure if she made that decision. Her body just sort of walked itself over to his tent. 

She went inside to see him still up. They stared at each other in understanding. “Couldn’t sleep?” He asked her. She shook her head.

“Can I?” She questioned,

“Of course.” He opened up the bedding and she climbed into it. 

She remembers those nights in Ba Sing Se when he was Lee. Sometimes she’d have nightmares. He’d be there when she woke up, looking tired. Heiwa would apologize for keeping him up with her possible cries and shifting about. Zuko would say that it was fine. Before they were invited to the palace, she remembers a night when she snuggled into him and he placed an arm protectively around her. 

Tonight was similar. 

She didn’t feel him moving to leave the tent. When she awoke, she found the other sixteen-year-old sitting outside Katara’s tent. He said to her, “I know who killed your mother.”

That is what kept him up. That is what drove him away from Heiwa and towards Katara. The waterbender was faster at this than the lavabender. She wanted revenge _now._ It just had to be done. Heiwa said nothing as the pair moved towards the ski bison and attempted to borrow him. The attempt failed.

—————

“I’m actually proud of you,” Heiwa told the banished prince. They sat on top of the rock that witnessed their conversation the day before. “I’m really glad you’re doing this.”

“Thanks, I guess,” he replied.

They said nothing more as they watched the last of the group rise from out of the tents. Suki had come out of Sokka’s tent while Toph emerged from her rock.

Inwardly, the lavabender knew that Zuko and Katara would be taking Appa anyway. She would do nothing to stop them. The waterbender needed this. 

__________

During the time they waited for the duo’s arrival, Toph and Heiwa practiced their bending. The Lavabender wished that Haru was with them. That would have made things more fun. She was already missing the guy. She supposed that she would just have to go explore the island and discover cool bending spots without him.

  
It was the sunset two days after when the duo returned. Aang rushed to the girl with concern. Heiwa watched with a smile on her face as she saw the fourteen-year-old hug Zuko. For now, there was peace among the group. They had a lot to go if they wanted to restore peace to the entire world, however.

But for now, Heiwa was content.

  
  



End file.
